20th century literary theory - Essay Example

20th Century Literary Theory In the literary theory of the twentieth century, Karl Marx (1818-1883) has been one of the most important theorists whohave influenced the course of literary theory. The Marxist literary theory which emphasises the themes of class conflict in literary creations has been a major development in the twentieth century literary theory. Marxist literary theory can be comprehended as a sociological approach to literature which considers literary pieces as the results of the workings of the historical forces. Whereas the Marxist literary theory developed through the literary theorists such as Georg Lukcs, Valentin Voloshinov, Raymond Williams, Terry Eagleton, Fredric Jameson, Theodor Adorno, and Walter Benjamin et al., the influence of Karl Marx on Althusser, Gramsci and Jameson et al. need to be comprehended in great detail so as to realise the contributions of Marx on the twentieth century literary theory. The influence of Marx on the later theorists can be realised from the progress of the Marxist literary theory in the last century and the history of Marxism has been changed in the hands of several users. The Marxist ideas got revised and reformulated in the hands of later theorists such as Antonio Gramsci, Louis Althusser, Fredric Jameson, et al. The influence of Karl Marx on twentieth century literary theory may be comprehended in relation to his contributions to the field of philosophy as a whole. Karl Marx exerted an enormous influence on the literary theory and criticism of the twentieth century, although he did not compose any important piece of writing on aesthetics or literature. "Because his theories about capitalism and about the history of human development encompass society in its entirety, his thought has relevance for art and literature Much more important for subsequent writers was the emphasis on the embeddedness of all culture in social and economic relations. Although critics such as Georg Lukacs, Antonio Gramsci, Louis Althusser, Raymond Williams, Theodor Adorno and Fredric Jameson have differed significantly on what Marx meant and how one should apply his insights to literary texts, they all agree on the fertile connection between a socio- economic realm and the arena of culture. Marx's greatest achievement for literary studies was his insistence that literature is never entirely autonomous, and that it represents a mediated ideological statement about genuine social struggle." (Wolfreys, 34) Therefore, the contributions of this great philosopher to the literary theory and criticism of the twentieth century can be comprehended from his influence on Althusser, Gramsci and Jameson. This paper makes a reflective analysis of the various areas of influence of Marx on these important theorists of the last century. Althusser, Gramsci and Jameson are the most prominent Marxist theorists of the twentieth century who transmitted the great ideas of Marx to the literary criticism. Louis Althusser (1918-90), in particular, was instrumental in conveying the significant ideas of Marx in literary criticism and establishing a ground for Marxist literary theory and he was instrumental in realising the specific nature of the principles of Marx's principles regarding important philosophic issues. Significantly, Althusser's work as a radical attempt to revive Marxist philosophy in the wake of what he saw as the theoretical emptiness left by Western Communism's deferred acknowledgement of the theoretical and political errors of Stalinism in the late 1950s. "Along with Gramsci and Lukacs, Althusser is among the most important Marxist theorists of the twentieth century. Althusser described himself first and foremost as a reader of Marx, his apparently modest aim being to investigate 'the specific nature of the principles of the science and philosophy founded by Marx' Such a judgement may be somewhat harsh, but it is undeniable that Althusser is the last Marxist philosopher to attempt to reform Marxist philosophy at a time when the broader political stakes of such an undertaking were even thinkable at all." (Smith, 51) Therefore, the influence of Marx on the critical writings of Althusser cannot be ignored and he was one of the most influential Marxist philosophers who insisted on an exact understanding of Marx's philosophies. Althusser regarded his work, as a whole, as a political intervention in the existing Marxist philosophy and as a philosophical intervention in politics. Whereas there was an important anti-humanist approach to understanding the concepts of Marx in the contemporary age of Althusser, he was engaged in writing an official Marxism in order to give a clear idea of Marxist ideas. Althusser's occasional interventions in the field of relative autonomy in the literary and cultural domain had great influence on critics such as Terry Eagleton and Fredric Jameson. "Despite their often austere tone, Althusser was always insistent that his theoretical texts should be regarded as part of an ongoing project, subject to revision and extension by others working on broad field of Marxist theory. Althusserianism has had its most long-lasting influence in literary and cultural studies... What emerges is a model of analysis that both acknowledges textual specificity and rejects traditional appeals to aesthetic unity and autonomy by means of careful attention to the ways in which the sheer ideological weight of its source materials prevent the text from saying quite what it explicitly wants to say." (Smith, 65) In short, Marx's influence on Althusser also demonstrates Marx's contributions to the literary theory and criticism of the twentieth century. The contributions of Marx to the criticism of the twentieth century becomes significantly clear in an understanding of his influence on Antonio Gramsci (1928-71) who is one of the most prominent figures of Marxist literary theory. He provides a cultural extension of the ideas and principles of Karl Marx. "Antonio Gramsci (1928/1971) gives us another important cultural extension of Marx. For Gramsci, the condition of the West is past the point where the materially based Marxist revolution can occur. Revolution for Gramsci is not the simple product of external economic forces as in Marx, but revolutions come out of and are preceded by intense cultural work." (Allan, 66) Therefore, the concepts of Gramsci in the literary theory were greatly influenced by the cultural ideas of Marx and his works were instrumental in comprehending several of the Marxian principles of cultural and literary significance. Fredric Jameson is another important Marxist theorist who was highly influenced by the theories and concepts of Marx and who was instrumental in realising the true merit of Marxian ideology. He is commonly considered as one of the most influential Marxist cultural critics of the last century. His major achievements in his period can be comprehended as threefold. "First, his work and indefatigable presence have kept Marxism as a critical tradition alive in the United States through long and often hostile stretches of political and intellectual conservatism. Second, he has adapted this tradition to meet the new intellectual and political challenges posed by continental European theory on the one hand and the globalised, media-based capitalism of the post-industrial period on the other. Third, his startling theorisation of postmodernism has ignited and set the terms for an epoch-defining debate about the significance and value of contemporary culture which continues to reverberate through the humanities and social sciences." (Heffernan, 252) Therefore, Fredric Jameson has been one of the most prominent Marxist theorists who have dealt in detail with the cultural and literary elements in the Marxist philosophy. In conclusion, Marx's significant influence on Althusser, Gramsci and Jameson et al not only suggests the great relevance of the Marxian thinking and philosophy in the literary theory and criticism of the twentieth century, but also points to the authority of his concepts and ideas of cultural and class equations in the writings of the important critics and thinkers of the last century. Althusser, Gramsci and Jameson illustrate and interpret the ideas and principles of Marx concerning cultural philosophy and class struggle and their writings are the treasures of Marxian literary criticism. The contributions of Marx to the literary theory and criticism of the twentieth century remain relevant through the works of these thinkers who were immensely influenced by Marx. Works Cited Allan, Kenneth. Explorations in classical sociological theory: seeing the social world. Pine Forge Press. 2005. P 66. Heffernan, Nick. "Frederic Jameson (1934- )." Contemporary critical theorists: from Lacan to Said. Jon Simons. London: Edinburgh University Press. 2004. P 252. Wolfreys, Julian. Modern European criticism and theory: a critical guide. London: Edinburgh University Press. 2006. P 34. Smith, Steve. "Louis Althusser (1918-90)." Contemporary critical theorists: from Lacan to Said. Jon Simons. London: Edinburgh University Press. 2004. P 51. Read More